Prices at the factory gate in China showed their first increase since 2012. Photo: Reuters
Prices at the factory gate in China showed their first increase since 2012. Photo: Reuters

Chinese consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in four months in September, beating analysts’ expectations and helping to ease concerns about the health of the world’s second-largest economy following weak export data yesterday.

CPI jumped 1.9%, against the 1.6% expected by analysts. The increase reversed a five-month trend of slowing price gains that saw the index drop from 2.3% in April to 1.3% in August.

China’s producer prices also rose, with factory-gate prices turning positive for the first time in almost five years.